History

A male choir was formed in Newquay in 1947, but this choir disbanded in 1956, before reforming on the 20th November 1974 when ‘Newquay Male Voice Choir’ held its first practice under the direction of Morley Trethewey. Three original members from this time, Arnold Lancaster, Stuart Tamblyn and Roy Truscott, still sing with the choir.

In April 2016 Newquay Male Voice Choir were delighted to appoint Richard Braebrook as their Musical Director. Richard became only the fifth MD of the choir, following Morley Trethewey (1974-1982), Roy Magor (1982-1987), Alan Taylor (1987-2003) and Judith Pinguey, nee Mumby (2003-2015)

Members of Newquay Male Voice Choir, joined by Treviglas Community College Male Chorus and Trenance Learning Academy Boys Choir at Newlyn East Preaching Pit.

Community

While keen to travel, meet new people and have new experiences, Newquay MVC has the people of the town very much at its heart. It takes every opportunity to support and raise funds for local groups and initiatives, including those that involve youngsters. Recently the incumbent Mayor of Newquay observed, ‘Newquay MVC is a highly polished and popularchoir, and as a town we are rightly proud of all its singers and their achievements.’ Together with its a capella group, Oll an Gwella, the choir has raised many thousands of pounds for worthy causes. In recognition of this Oll an Gwella was presented with the ‘Mayor’s Award’ for 2017 and subsequently the full choir was recognised as a beneficiary of the ‘Mayor’s Fund’ for 2017-18

The Community work of the full choir and Oll an Gwella was also recognised by the Cornish Federation of Male Voice Choirs with the award of the prestigious ‘President’s Plate’ in 2010 and again in 2014, the only choir to be honoured in this way twice.

Opportunities to perform

Newquay MVC takes every opportunity to perform with other choirs both at home in Cornwall and when travelling further afield. It values the opportunities this offers to meet, share with and learn from choral groups of all kinds, but particularly other male choirs. This is especially evident in its enthusiastic support for and engagement with the biennial Cornwall International Male Choral Festival which is taking place once again in May 2019. It is also reflected in the participation of choir members in the magnificent massed choir concerts of the Cornish Federation of Male Voice Choirs presented on four occasions at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

New Experiences

Newquay MVC is always keen to embrace new experiences, and so it was with some considerable excitement that they responded to an invitation to sing on the Main Stage of the Boardmasters Festival in Newquay in 2018. This was the first time that any Cornish male voice choir had done such a thing and Newquay MVC responded to the challenge magnificently, entertaining a large audience in wet weather to a programme of lively and engaging pieces.

People often ask, ‘What sorts of things do male voice choirs do?’ Our programme for the summer of 2018 probably gives a very good illustration: